Book review! Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina and the Black Cloak, by Robert Beatty ~~

This book has been staring at me from my bookshelf for a little over a year. I don't usually gravitate to Middle Grade books, but the story is set at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina - and as a recovering architect, I'm always a fan of stories that use great buildings as a backdrop. Being in North Carolina myself, I was drawn in. So when I saw an ad for a book signing at the local Barnes & Noble for a local author, I thought I'd venture over and see what was what. It was just after the holidays in early 2016 and family was in town, so some of us went to pick up a copy and get a signature.

We were not remotely prepared for the crowd or the line. So while we each did get a copy of the book, we did not wait around to get a signature. I hadn't seen any previous marketing for the book, but I guess being backed by Disney helps to draw quite a crowd. Or maybe its the middle grade genre? I'm not sure. But I'm a sucker for good cover art, and Serafina’s golden glow silhouetted against the darkness of the background - and hovering over top of the building, no less - pulled me in.

This is a children’s book, so I’ll preface my comments with that. I repeatedly had to remind myself that this book caters to readers much younger. At times the story was slow for me, and the writing came off to me as choppy. Although maybe it was supposed to read like the thought process of a child, and with that it may have succeeded. I may offer it up to my nine-year-old and see what he thinks. If he reads it, I'll post his version of the book review for a balance to mine. I'm imagining they would be fairly different.

The story was cute, but didn't hold my attention for long periods of time. It took me a few weeks to get through it. I did find Serafina, the main character who lives in the basement of the Biltmore Estate with her father, to be endearing and well developed. Her budding relationship with the young Braeden Vanderbilt, nephew of the master of the Biltmore, was the highlight of the novel for me. Two youngsters with trouble relating to their peers, becoming kindred spirits while searching for disappearing children and the creature that was taking them. The blossoming friendship between two children from vastly different upbringings was well-done, and sweet to witness.

Serafina’s villain is a man in a black cloak, who she discovers early in the first few chapters as she witnesses a young girl’s battle with the stranger. With a swirl of the cloak, the girl seems to be gobbled up and disappears. Other children go missing throughout the book, and spins Serafina into the role of protector of both her new friend Braeden and the rest of the children around the Biltmore Estate. Set up with some magical realism embedded in the forest surrounding the estate, Sera frantically searches for the missing children and the black cloak while grappling with secrets about a mother she's never known and to what kind of life she truly belongs.

I'd love to hear your thoughts if you've read Serafina and the Black Cloak. And I've got more coming, so sign up for my mailing list here. It would be great to hear from you!